Holiday Houses and Candied Cheer

It has been a very busy holiday season so far… and we’re not done yet! We’ve eaten an entire crop of potatoes in the form of latkes. I’ve hosted three Chanukah parties; attended numerous holiday concerts; shopped, wrapped and cooked until I broke a sweat. The kids decorated the house and graciously ate as many doughnuts as they could manage. Finally, we’re building. Yes, building!

Holiday houses, that is. And, as much as I’d love to create a gingerbread house from scratch, it just isn’t going to happen during such a busy month. So, I’ve been leaving no gumdrop stone unturned in my search for allergy-friendly, off-the-shelf kits.

Here are a couple of fabulous allergy-free finds:

Manischewitz Chanukah House:

This nut-free house is easy to assemble, a cinch to decorate and delicious to eat. It is not gingerbread, but rather vanilla cookie which my kids prefer.

A&J Bakery not only manufactures gingerbread houses, but they make Gingerbread Men in their nut and gluten-free facility. These Gingerbread Men would make a great kids’ activity for a holiday party. They’re individualized and ready to eat in minutes!

These candy canes are made in a gluten, dairy, tree nut, peanut, egg, fish and shellfish-free facility. Their allergen information page is impressive and their candy canes minty and fresh! Spangler, the parent company also makes our favorite, safe lollipops, DumDums!

Among the insanely adorable cookies and treats that Eleni’s offers for nearly EVERY occasion are these fantastic and creative Color Me! holiday cookie sets. The Hanukkah one below is sold out, but you’re in luck – there are still Christmas sets available!

Living with food allergies can be crazy. Especially during the holidays. These gingerbread, Chanukah houses and other treats are such an easy way for my kids to feel included in the fun. They all love to work together to create the perfect house, covered in as much frosting and candy as they can manage. They’ve been excited to participate in the fun of decorating and devouring gingerbread cookies at a party. And, we ALL love setting out a treat like nut-free candy canes knowing that anyone that walks through our door can enjoy them – safely and with confidence!